AWP
The AWP '('A'rctic '''W'arfare 'P'olice), or Magnum Sniper Rifle', as it was previously known, is a sniper rifle featured in the [[Counter-Strike series|''Counter-Strike series]]. It is also commonly referred to as the AWM (A'rctic '''W'arfare 'M'agnum) or '''AWSM ('A'rctic 'W'arfare 'S'uper 'M'agnum). Contrary to popular belief, the Artic Warfare Police (AWP) is not offered in .338 Lapua Magnum. The common reference to this rifle as an AWP is misguided. The biggest reason for this is due to the fact that it so closely resembles the AWP, and because the model files refer to it as such. Overview The AWSM is a powerful bolt-action sniper rifle available to both teams. It is renowned for being able to instantly kill a player with one hit on any part of the body except the legs. For this reason, the AWSM is one of the most popular and widely used weapons in Counter-Strike. It is also the most powerful weapon in the Counter-Strike series. Properties The AWSM is a fairly heavy weapon. While wielded, the player's movement speed is 210 units per second (default speed is 250), meaning they suffer heavy speed reduction. While zoomed in, their movement speed is 150 units per second. The AWSM is one of the many guns able to shoot underwater. Advantages * Very high damage (1-2 hit kills) * Good penetration through intervening targets and material * Very accurate at long range while scoped in * Moderate to fast reload speed * Almost has no range issues Disadvantages * Groups of enemies cannot be taken out easily; shooting from an angle which can be difficult for enemies to fire on can make this easier. * Bolt-action, even slower than Scout (slow rate of fire) * Very loud and distinct firing sounds * Extremely inaccurate while moving or unscoped * Heavy * Expensive, for both weapon and ammo. * This is the only weapon that uses .338 Lapua Magnum. Gameplay Tactics *Unlike other sniper rifles, you should aim for the chest whenever possible, instead of the head. The chest presents a much larger target, and an AWSM shot would instantly kill. *In certain maps (especially Aztec), professional players can perform wall-bangs (hit the enemy through a wall, box, or any other obstacle) that can deal up to 60 damage. This tactic requires perfect accuracy, prediction, and a bit of luck. Many other weapons can wall-bang such as the M249, Desert Eagle and AK-47. *Steady fire is recommended as moving while firing will cause you to miss your target. *If you miss your shots a lot, try firing in front of your target, where they would be in half (1/2) a second. This can compensate for slow reaction times or lag. *When facing an enemy sniper, use cover so you can afford to miss a shot. Try not to miss, though. *A Desert Eagle is a good backup for users of this weapon, most notably when you encounter an enemy at close range. *Try not to shoot at your opponent's leg, since he may survive the hit. If this happens, switch to Desert Eagle and take him out quickly. *In Assassination maps, the terrorists' semi-auto sniper rifle cannot be purchased. This is the best replacement if you need to snipe - since the bullet from AWSM can kill the VIP in 1~2 hits. *Make sure you don't miss the body, or the target will have a fightng chance if he can close the distance on you. Countertactics *Listen for AWSM shots. The firing sound is extremely loud and distinctive. *Try to attack the AWSM user with multiple team members. *Don't try to wait for the shooter armed with AWSM, he's counting on your predicted position, and power of the bullet. Instead, don't stop moving, and shoot to intercept the sniper (shot through materials as well)! *If an AWSM shot misses you, you have a 2 second window (before the sniper can fire another shot) either to retreat or to attack the sniper. Use this time wisely, for the sniper might not miss his next shot. *Counter with an AWSM of your own. A Colt M4A1, AK-47, and other rifles can also be used to headshot the user, though this is rather risky. *Pick the AWSM user off with a semi-automatic sniper rifle. A good time to do this is when you just heard the AWSM shot, since the sniper will not be able to retaliate. *AWSM is useless compare to other automatic/semi-auto weapons at close range combat, unless some proper skills to do a fast-scope shot or fire without scope. *It's seriously not recommended you face the AWSM head on unless you have a long range weapon of your own, or if you want to see how hard the .338 hits a body. Controversy and History Due to its power, the AWSM has attracted much criticism since its introduction. Many players view it as an overpowered and unfair weapon requiring little skill, nicknaming it the "noob cannon", and those who use it "AWP whores". Many public servers restrict or ban the AWSM (and sometimes all sniper rifles except the Scout). The general opinion, however, is that whilst the AWSM is undeniably powerful, there is significant skill in its use, and so it is accepted by the majority of the community. Reduced power The AWSM is no longer as powerful as it once was. The AWSM was most powerful in all versions prior to Counter-Strike 1.3, where one shot to any part of the body was an instant kill. Later updates reduced its effectiveness: Counter-Strike 1.3 made the leg shot non-lethal and Counter-Strike 1.5 made it so that the AWSM and pistols took longer to switch to, as well as making the AWSM extremely inaccurate without using the scope, crippling the AWSM's effectiveness in close-quarters; Counter-Strike 1.6 drastically increased the time to scope in, which was criticized as making it nearly worthless. Players quickly got used to the newly nerfed AWSM. The latest update to Counter-Strike reduced the scope time. A brand new flaw is the "Quick switch" glitch. Many players use it to reduce the time between each shots by switching to another weapon during the bolt animation. This glitch was patched for the Source version of the game, as of October 2011. Achievements ''Counter-Strike: Source'' Weapon Kill Trivia *The AWSM is one of the most used weapons in the ''Counter-Strike'' series. *The AWP in the German version of Left 4 Dead 2 is a direct port of the Counter-Strike: Source version, which uses 20 round magazine intsead of 10. *The game file name for this weapon is awp. *The AWSM is perfect for dealing collateral damage, making it easy to get the Ammo Conservation achievement with it. *A numerous amount of servers ban this weapon or restrict it to an amount per team due to it being extremely powerful, and how easy it is to kill another player with it. *In Counter-Strike 1.6 and Condition Zero the third person model of the AWSM is unusually short, almost being of equal length as an AK-47. This visual error has been fixed in Counter-Strike: Source. *In Deleted Scenes, if the AWSM is used by enemy NPC, they won't do maximum damage, they will activate laser sight if they attempt to shoot player, and also, they can gib anything if killed by NPC AWSM. However, if used by player, they won't gib anything but will kill anything instantly. *In Counter-Strike: Source, the first person view of AWSM's scope is bigger than the 3rd person view of the scope. *The firing sound of the AWSM in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is reused from the ported version featured in Left 4 Dead 2. *Strangely, the scope of this weapon in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is probably the smallest scope of all Sniper Rifles of this game. It also features an olive color unlike the black scopes featured elsewhere in the series. *This weapon is considered a "high risk, high reward" weapon because it is powerful but slow. *The 'AWP' can be best described as a hybrid of the Accuracy International AWP (size in GoldSrc based titles, magazine capacity) and AWSM (caliber, weight, size in Source based titles). *The AWP in real life uses 10 round magazines, while the AWSM uses 5 round magazines. *The AWP in real life is normally chambered with .243/.308 Winchester Magnum, instead of .338 Lapua Magnum; while the AWM in real life is chambered with .300 Winchester Magnum or .338 Lapua Magnum. The .338 Lapua Magnum version of the AWM is also known as AWSM. *The Accuracy International AWSM holds the distinction of the longest sniper kill for now. The rifle was used by Corporal Craig Harrison of the British Army to establish a new record distance for a confirmed kill shot in Afghanistan in November 2009 (2475m/2707yd), surpassing the previous record held by a McMillan Tac-50 fired by Corporal Rob Furlong of the Canadian Armed Forces (2430m/2657yd). *Recently the AWP was added to Team Fortress 2 as "The AWPer Hand" as a reskin of the Sniper Rifle for the Sniper class and can be obtained in Genuine quality by pre-ordering Global Offensive (as is the case with cross-promotions). As a reskin it doesn't have the extremely high damage of its Counter-Strike counterpart. Gallery : Main article: Magnum Sniper Rifle/Gallery External links *Arctic Warfare Super Magnum at Wikipedia *Arctic Warfare Super Magnum at Internet Movie Firearms Database for its appearances in various media. Category:Rifles Category:Weapons